Daily plenty of new comers are getting attracted towards e-commerce. Starting from a blog to product everyday there is innovations in IT. While it comes to the matter of web we all target Google Traffic. Without traffic from Google your web is useless. To gain traffic from Google first you need to index your links in Google. That’s why to Google Webmaster Tools. For Webmasters Let’s us share Webmaster Guidelines to use Google Webmaster Tools & how can you Configure them for your business links.
Add Your Property
Using your Google ID after you login to Google Webmaster Tools in home page you will get a link “Add A Property”. Using this link add your domain link to Google Webmaster. Then Complete Verification. Once Verification was Successful you will get listed your link in home page. Click on it to Configure further.
Dashboard
In Dashboard you will get Current Status page with 3 pans Crawl Errors, Search Analytics & Sitemaps. Crawl Errors shows errors related to DNS, Server Connectivity & Robots.txt fetch. Search Analytics shows total number of Clicks with a data visual of daily Clicks. Sitemaps shows all the Sitemaps you submitted & their index Status.
Messages
This page act like a event tracker. What ever the activities you play in Google Webmaster Tools this page kept log for all that with dates. Also if there is some errors or warnings you can get these messages from Webmaster team at here. After fixation of errors or warnings you can delete them from Message page.
Search Appearance
This includes all upcoming techniques which helps user to locate the exact content in between the whole page. Structured data is nothing but the markup details form your website. Data Highlighter technique is the way to keep an user engaged more into the content. It helps to reduce bounce rate. The tool HTML Improvement shows errors form your website that need to fix at front-end.
Search Traffics
Search Traffic contains Search Analytics, Link to your Sites, Internal Links, Manual Actions, International Targeting & Mobile Usability tools.
Search Analytics: Using this tool you can monitor Google Search performance. Starting from Number of Clicks to the Queries user search you can view all at here.
Link to your Sites: This tool shows Total Number of external links connected to your Site. Additionally you can watch “Who links the most” & “Your most linked contents”. Also using this tool you can know the anchor text label which pointing to your Site.
Internal Links: To grow in web business Internal Links are one of the major factor. Using this tool you can track all your internal links with target pages & number of links. If you want you can download these data.
Manual Actions: This tool shows spam actions for your web.
International Targeting: International Targeting tool is to target audience in a specific reason. I mean if you are looking for Indian traffic you can Configure “Target users in” to India. By setting “Target users in” to unlisted Google will target all areas across Globe. Also using this tool you can track Targeted Language for any specific Country.
Mobile Usability: Today’s web is Mobile friendly. If your site is not mobile friendly be sure you will lose business. Using this tool you can know which mobile usability issues affecting your site performance.
Google Index
Google Index tab contents 4 tools Index Status, Content Keywords, Blocked Resources & Remove URLs.
Index Status: Index Status page is having 2 panels Basics & Advanced. Under basics you can only view Total Number of Links indexed by Google. Using Advanced panel additionally you can watch URLs blocked by robots & data visual for daily index.
Content Keywords: In this block you can find out the keywords from Contents those are priorities by Search Engines.
Blocked Resources: Many time in our blog we do block few links from general public. There are several way to do this. But using Blocked Resources tool you can watch all those blocked URLs from robots.txt file.
Remove URLs: Temporarily remove URLs that you own from search results. To remove content permanently, you must remove or update the source page.
Crawl Details
Crawl Errors: Using this Tool you can easily know the errors produced by your website. Under Site Error you can watch DNS, Server Connectivity & Robots.txt Fetch errors. As an advanced feature here not only the error from Desktop devices but also you can get to know errors about mobile devices.
Crawl Stats: In this tool you can view the data visual for Pages crawled per day, Kilobytes downloaded per day & Time spent downloading a page (in milliseconds).
Fetch as Google: All Webmasters wants to index their releases ASAP it happen. In such case this tool is very effective. There are 4 categories to fetch an URL Desktop, Mobil: Smartphone, Mobile: XHTML/WML & Mobile: cHTML. To submit a fresh link just copy n paste the partial URL by neglecting the primary domain & submit. After submission leave 2 to 3 minutes & then search the URL in Google. You will get happy to see that the URL is indexed.
robots.txt Tester: Using this tool you can easily check your robots file. Here from also you can edit the file if required.
Sitemaps: To index a site faster & better all search engine prefers Sitemap. Google accepts xml based Sitemap. If your Sitemap is ready you can click on ADD/TEST Sitemap button to submit the Sitemap.
Basics of Google Search Console to Learn
Google Search Console (GSC) is a powerful tool that provides website owners, webmasters, and digital marketers with insights into their site’s performance in Google search results. Understanding its features and functionalities can significantly enhance a website’s visibility and performance.
What is Google Search Console?
Google Search Console is a free service offered by Google that helps webmasters monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot their site’s presence in Google Search results. It provides a variety of tools and reports to help understand how Google views your website, identify issues, and optimize your content for better performance.
Setting Up Google Search Console
## Creating an Account
To begin using Google Search Console, you need a Google account. You can log in to GSC by visiting the Google Search Console website. Once logged in, you can add your website by clicking on the “Add Property” button. You will have two options: Domain or URL prefix. The Domain option tracks all subdomains and protocols, while the URL prefix option is limited to the specified URL.
## Verification Process
After adding your property, you must verify ownership of the website. Google offers several verification methods, including:
1. HTML File Upload: Download a verification file provided by GSC and upload it to your website’s root directory.
2. HTML Tag: Add a meta tag provided by GSC into the “ section of your homepage.
3. Google Analytics: If you already use Google Analytics, you can verify ownership through it, provided you have the necessary permissions. 4. Google Tag Manager: You can also verify using a Google Tag Manager container snippet.
Once verified, you will gain access to all features of Google Search Console.
Understanding the GSC Dashboard
The GSC dashboard is divided into several sections, each providing critical data regarding your website’s performance.
## Performance Report
The Performance report gives insights into how your site performs in Google search results. Key metrics include:
– Total Clicks: The total number of clicks your site received from search results.
– Total Impressions: How often your site appeared in search results.
– Average Click-Through Rate (CTR): The percentage of impressions that resulted in clicks.
– Average Position: The average position of your site in search results for queries.
You can filter this data by date range, queries, pages, countries, devices, and more, allowing for a comprehensive analysis.
## URL Inspection Tool
The URL Inspection tool allows you to check specific URLs on your site. It provides information about the indexed status, any crawling issues, and whether the page is mobile-friendly. This tool is beneficial for troubleshooting and ensuring individual pages are optimized for search.
## Coverage Report
The Coverage report shows which pages of your site have been indexed by Google and highlights any issues that may prevent indexing. Key statuses include:
– Valid: The page is indexed successfully.
– Error: There are issues preventing the page from being indexed.
– Valid with Warnings: The page is indexed, but there are issues to address.
– Excluded: The page is intentionally not indexed.
Regularly monitoring this report is crucial for maintaining a healthy site index.
## Sitemaps
Submitting a sitemap to Google Search Console helps search engines understand your site’s structure. A sitemap is an XML file that lists all the important pages on your website, ensuring that Google can discover and crawl them effectively. You can submit your sitemap through the Sitemaps section in GSC.
## Mobile Usability
With the increasing importance of mobile-friendliness, GSC provides a Mobile Usability report. This report highlights any usability issues affecting mobile users, such as touch elements too close together or content wider than the screen. Addressing these issues is essential for providing a good user experience on mobile devices.
Enhancing your SEO Strategy
## Identifying Keywords
The Performance report in GSC can help identify the keywords your site is ranking for. Understanding which keywords are driving traffic allows you to align your content strategy with user intent, optimizing for high-traffic and relevant search terms.
## Monitoring Competitor Performance
While GSC does not provide competitor data, you can still use the insights from your site’s performance to gauge your standing in your niche. Analyzing your top-performing keywords and the pages driving the most traffic can help you identify gaps and opportunities within your industry.
## Fixing Crawl Errors
Regularly checking the Coverage report is crucial for identifying and fixing crawl errors. Resolving these issues can help ensure that your site is fully indexed and accessible to users and search engines alike.
## Improving Click-Through Rates
Analyzing the average CTR for various queries can help you identify opportunities for improvement. By optimizing title tags and meta descriptions to be more compelling, you can increase the likelihood of users clicking through to your site from search results.
Additional Features of Google Search Console
## Link Reports
GSC provides valuable data about internal and external links. Understanding your site’s linking structure can aid in improving SEO. The Internal Links report shows how many links point to specific pages within your site, while the External Links report highlights which sites link to yours.
## Enhancements
The Enhancements section provides insights into specific features of your site, such as structured data and AMP (Accelerated Mobile Pages). Implementing structured data can help search engines understand your content better, potentially leading to rich results in search.
## Security Issues
Google Search Console monitors your site for security issues, such as malware or hacking attempts. If any security problems are detected, GSC will notify you, allowing for prompt action to protect your site and users.
Best Practices for using Google Search Console
## Regular Monitoring
Regularly check your GSC account to stay updated on your site’s performance, coverage issues, and any notifications from Google. Frequent monitoring can help you catch problems early and maintain a healthy site.
## Utilize the Insights
Leverage the insights provided by GSC to inform your SEO and content strategies. Use performance data to optimize existing content and guide future content creation efforts based on what keywords and topics are generating traffic.
## Stay Informed
Google frequently updates its algorithms and GSC features. Keeping informed about these changes can help you adapt your strategies and make the most of the tools available.
## Engage with the Community
Participating in online forums and communities focused on SEO can provide additional insights and best practices for using GSC. Learning from others’ experiences can help you discover new strategies and troubleshoot issues more effectively.
Conclusion
Google Search Console is an indispensable tool for anyone looking to improve their website’s performance in search results. By understanding its features and regularly utilizing the insights it offers, webmasters can optimize their sites for better visibility, address issues promptly, and ultimately enhance user experience. With the right approach, GSC can play a pivotal role in your SEO strategy, driving traffic and contributing to your website’s success.